


Unexpected gifts (and collateral damage)

by _Lightning_ (Lightning070)



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Comedy, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Gifts&Presents, Harley Keener is back, Missing Scene, Peter Parker cameo - Freeform, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 23:17:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15828951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightning070/pseuds/_Lightning_
Summary: «So, if you would use these metamaterials on the retro-reflecting panels of the Mark 42... »«46.»«Yeah, yeah. So, if you just... hold on! Didn't you say you'd stop building them?»«I say a lot of things, kid. I can't remember them all.»





	Unexpected gifts (and collateral damage)

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Regali inaspettati (e danni collaterali)](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/411654) by _Lightning_. 



 

«So, if you would use these metamaterials on the retro-reflecting panels of the Mark 42... »

«46.»

«Yeah, yeah. So, if you... hold on! Didn't you say you'd stop building them?»

«I say a lot of things, kid. I can't remember them all.»

Tony finally decided he was done with driving at snail's pace behind that battered Corvette and stepped on the pedal; his Audi roared and leaped forward, overtaking the other vehicle. Harley brightened up and smiled in pure joy as the wind blew his already disheveled hair away from his face.

«Wow! Let's do it again!» he urged, pointing at the next car, and Tony shook his head with a half grin. He slowed down to an almost normal speed, forced by the congested traffic downtown.

«Ah-ah. I have no intention of crashing with an underage in my car. That would end me, and you're supposed to get to school all in one piece.»

Harley pouted, but it didn't last for long and he went back to sticking his hands out of the convertible, following the air flows.

«So, this school's... cool, right?» he asked after a while, lively once again.

«The coolest. I chose it, didn't I? You'll fit in just right, even though now you won't be the only little genius in the spotlight...»

«I don't think so, I got an ace up my sleeve,» he answered back, with a sly smile.

«And that would be?»

«I saved Tony Stark!» he revealed in a hopeful burst, barely managing to keep still in his seat as he followed the outline of New York's skyscrapers passing them by.

«Hey, we have a deal about that,» Tony reminded him, more seriously.

«I know, I know, I'll keep it quiet. What a drag...» he let out under his breath, still smiling to himself though.

Tony pulled up in a side alley and stopped in a screech of tires, a couple of blocks away from the Midtown School of Science and Technology.  
Some curious passer-by turned their head at the sight of his red-golden sports car, but he just lowered the visor of his Lakers cap and settled his wide sunglasses, hoping to blend in. Nobody approached them.

«You know the way, right?» he said when he noticed that Harley didn't seem to be getting out of the car anytime soon.

«Uh-huh,» he nodded absent-mindedly, hugging his backpack.

Tony tapped his fingers on the wheel.

«You still have the "deterrent", don't you?»

Harley just lifted the keychain hanging from his jeans, from which dangled one of the anti-bully devices he gifted him with several years back, resembling an odd pendant.

«So, you're good. You're gonna make it,» stated Tony «Open up,» he ordered next, and the car door executed, inviting Harley to get out.

He slipped out of the car and the door automatically closed behind him.

«Well, good luck, kid. I'll send you a postcard from Malibu,» Tony said, about to leave.

«Before you vanish like last time...» Harley started off and came to his side, starting to rummage through his backpack.

Tony stopped, hesitated and then turned the engine off. He peered from behind his reddish lenses: the kid was still busy looking for God-knew-what. He kept gazing at him questioningly.

«Mom says she doesn't know how to repay you for the house and the job and all the rest...»

«And she shouldn't. I told you, I'm not gonna accept any...»

«... so she said I had to find a way to do it. And I've found it,» Harley interrupted him, offering him an object wrapped in golden paper.

Tony stared in surprise at the slightly askew package and let out a thin smile, still faltering to take the gift.

«Uhm, put it here,» he patted on the dashboard «I don't like being handed–»

Harley didn't give him a chance to finish and he obliged. He then began to fidget on the spot, clearly unnerved.

Tony took his sunglasses off and weighed the gift in a display of indifference, still eyeing Harley's reaction as he began to sway on his heels and toes, anxiously waiting. He concluded that giving him tachycardia on his first day of school wasn't the best idea, so he started to unwrap the gift with fake nonchalance. On the inside, he was now stirred by a marked curiosity that he would have never let seep out.  
When his eyes saw the content of the gift though, he couldn't restrain a wide smile giving then way to a light chuckle.

«Dora the Explorer went out of fashion?» he teased him, beholding the watch in his hands.

It was a digital black watch, with a syntetic leather wristband and a breath-taking number of buttons around the hexagonal dial, slightly resembling the frontal plate of his armor, along with its bluish hue.  
On the back was carved, in a childish handwriting, "for The Mechanic".

«I built it!» Harley exclaimed, with a beaming smile.

«It shows. That's a fine work right here,» he answered, without any irony for once.

«It has loads of features! Look–»

«I can figure it out by myself, don't you think? I already know you're late, for starters,» he interrupted his flow of words and winked, pointing at the time displayed on the screen.

«Yeah, but first you gotta press that one!» Harley jabbed at a particular button, clearly impatient to see his reaction.

Tony complied.

« _I-am-Iron Man!_ » the watch unexpectedly uttered in a robotic drawl.

«Wait, that's–»

«It's the intro of that song! You liked Black Sabbath, right? They're not bad, I started listening to them and–»

«Hold your horses! Great job, keep it that way and whatever, but if you don't beat it to school in two minutes I'm calling the suit to fly you there.»

«Really?!» Harley didn't seem to find his words threatening at all.

«No,» Tony crooked a naughty smile and put his sunglasses back on, then took off his Rolex to wear the new arrival.

He gestured for Harley to start walking and the kid took off, before turning to him still walking backward:

«So, you like it?»

«I already know what to use it for!» he grinned back and started the car, heading in his same direction.

As he overtook him, he stuck out of the convertible; Harley sped up to keep the pace and listen to him:

«Listen, if at school you happen to see an older, lanky kid with a dorky face who can't keep his trap shut, stay away from him. He's trouble,» he warned him lightheartedly, before leaving him behind with a roar.

 

***

 

Stark Tower was silent, apart from the traffic buzzing many feet below, barely audible behind the thick glass walls.  
Pepper was sleeping soundly, coiled up under the sheets.  
A shadow prowled in the dark, tiptoeing in her bedroom and quietly approaching the bed, then sitting at the woman's side.  
It loomed cautiously over her until it was just inches away from her face...

–  _I-am-Iron Man!_  –

The robotic voice shattered the silence and went off in Pepper's ears. She sat up with a jolt, her heart pounding, ready to face an alien attack. Instead, she faced the sight of his fianceé bent over with laughter as silent fits shook him, cutting his breath.

«Are you insane?!»

He just wheezed, clearly unable to draw a breath.

«I swear if you don't cut this–»

«Your face...» he finally managed to mouth with a hiccup «... it gets better every time,» he finished, struggling to get a grip on himself.

«You think it's funny?»

«You have _no_ idea,» he answered, leaning towards her to kiss her in an attempt at forgiveness.

When she dodged him and shoved him away, determined not to give up so easily, he just pressed the watch's button again, deafening her with the robotic voice. Pepper let out a smile, one more exasperated than amused. Tony seized the moment and met her lips, playfully pushing her on the bed.

«This is the best gift I could ever receive,» he stated, firmly.

«I _do_ know you're Iron Man: I don't need you to remind me at 3 am,» she observed with impeccable logic.

«Maybe I'm waking you up at 3 am 'cause I wanted to remind you in other ways too.» he hinted with a cheeky smile.

The pillow landing on his face wasn't enough to smother his laugh.

**Author's Note:**

> I translated this story myself, so if you notice any mistake just let me know and I'll be sure to fix it!
> 
> Thanks to anyone who will read, comment or give kudos to this story :)
> 
> -Light-


End file.
